Follower foe ram elevators



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. R. LOW. FOLLOWER FOR RAMBLEVATORS.

Patented Nov. 13, 1883.

N PETERS mmum n w. Wuhingldn, ac

(No Model.) Y 3 SheetS' Sheet 2.

W. R.- LOW.

FOLLOWER FOR RAM ELEVATORS.

Patented Nov. 13, 1883,.

N. PEIERs Phmo-Lilhcmgher, wnhingtmu. D. C,

(No Model.) a sfieets-sneetsr WLR. LOW. FOLLOWER FOR RAM ELEVATORS.

No; 288,352. Patented Nov. 13, I883.

N PETERS. Phalwlhhogruphcn Washingh' m mt.

i T i w nnrmvr i Low, on .1 sAn nnnnoisoo, CALIFORNIA.

, FOLLOW/ER .FoR RAM-ELEVATORS.\

srncrrrcn'rron forming f aZZ whom, it may concern/.

Be it known that IflVILLIAM B. Low, of e the city and'county ofSanFrancisco, State of California, have invented an Improved Fol- 5lowerfor ElevatorrRams; and I hereby de clare the following to bea full,clear, and ex act description thereof. e

My invention relates to certain, improvements in elevators, and moreespecially to that [o class in which the cage or car is elevated by whatare known as ram-elevators, provid-, ed with follower guidesforsteadying the ramspindle; and it consistsin certain detailsofconstructiom'as hereinafter fully described, r 5 and specificallypointed out in the claims. The particular means by which I accomplishthese movementsI will now illustrate by y reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in

'20 Figurel-is a perspective viewofiny follower, showing ameans bywhichit is enabled to afford support to the ram at a pointmiclway. Fig.2 is: a vertical section, showing ropes E and Fthe means'foraccomplishing the object. Fig. 3 is a view of my follower, showing ameans for causing its movement at anypoint. Fig. 4, is a plan,lookingup, of the follower andclamp shown in Fig. 3.

e The movement which Ideem the best Iywill 3o explain first. As the carascends and the ram lengthens 'it is obvious that the point needinggreatest supportconstantly changes, as this point is aboutmidway betweenthebase of the e shaft and the car, wherever the latter may be. Toafford support at this changeablepoint I have but to so connect myfollower that it shall move only onehalf as fast as the car. i

Let A represent the side guide-timbers in the elevator-shaft, in whichthe cage or car B 4c is adapted to ascend and descend by means of L thevertical ran1.O,thetop of which is bolted under the car, and is elevatedfrom below by i the ordinary hydraulic power.

Between the side guides, A, andbelow the 4 5 car, is atransverse pieceor follower, D, through which the ram loosely passes, and which isadapted to travel up or down between the guides readil I l i e To the.bottom of the car, at its sides, are 5o secured-wires, cords, or ropes EE. These pass down to the follower D and around pulpart of Letters re 28,352, dated November 1 1883. application filed NoYemherIQ, (No model.)

leys e 6 upon it, and up again through the car to the top of the shaft,where they are secured to the frame-timbers. By this connection of thefollower with the car the former will travel only one-half as fast asthe latter, and will consequently always be midway between the bottom ofthe shaft and the car. It begins to move with the car, and will affordsupport to the rain at the middle point of its exposed portion, nomatter where the car may be. These ropes raise the follower, and ifevery part were accurate it woulddescendof its own weight; but it islikely that the lateral strain upon the ramwould cause the follower tobind. QI have therefore further connected it with the car, to make itsdescent positive. "To opposite sides of the car are attached ropes F F.These pass up to the top of the frame-timbers, and around pulleys ftherein, down through the car and follower to the base of theelevator-shaft, around pulleys 57, up 'to the follower andaround pulleysh upon said follower, down again to the base, where they are secured.These ropes pull the follower down with accuracy. The constant movementgiven to the follower here shown, while especially applicable to tallbuildings,might not always be required. It might besufficient in somecasesto pick the follower up at any given point, and then to move it atthe same rate of speed as the car, to afford support at the pointdesired. I show this arrangement in Fig. 3, where similar lettersindicate similar parts as those heretofore described. The object here isto have the follower at rest until the car has reached a certainpoint-say half its jour ne and then to start it, to thereafter affordsupport to the ram. I represents ropes connected with the ends of thefollower, and extendingup behind the side timbers to a point abouthalf-way, where they pass through staples t, in which they are securedby across piece or rod, j, secured to their ends. The frame-timbers ofthe car extend on each side of the side guides, A, and are slotted, asshown, so that when the car reaches the staples itpicks up thecross-pieces j and carries the follower up with it for the scent, I havethe clamps K pivoted under. the follower. 1 Their inner ends are adaptedto remainder of the distance. To insure its deimpinge upon the ram andtheir outer ends have secured to them the ropes I. When the car picks upthe ropes, they draw up on the outer ends of the clamps, and thus causetheir inner ends to clamp or grip the ram. This grip they maintain inthe descent of the follower, and thus insure its downward move ment withthe ram. Small stops at the base of the elevator-shaft free the clampsfrom the ram when the follower reaches the bottom.

By similar connections to those here shown, it is obvious that I couldhave more'than one follower, and pick each up at any desired point orpoints. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is I 1. In combination with thevertically-moving car and rain of an elevating apparatus, the followeror guide D, fitted loosely uponv the ram between the side timbers, A,and a means for causing said follower to travel up and down theelevatorshaft at one-half the rate of speed of the moving car, wherebysaid elevate the follower, as described, and the ropes F F, arranged asshown, to carry it down again, substantially as and for the purposeherein described.

4. In combination with the vertically-moving car and ram of an elevatingapparatus,

the follower or guide D, having the pivoted clamps K, the inner ends ofwhich are adapted to bind upon the ram, and suitable cords, wires, orropes connecting the car with the outer ends of the clamps, whereby saidclamps are. made to bind upon the ram and elevate and lower thefollower, substantially as described.

5. In combination with the vertically-moving car and ram of an elevatingapparatus, the follower D, having the pivoted clamps K, and the meansfor raising and lowering the follower and causing the clamps to bindupon the ram, consisting of the ropes I, connected with the outer endsof the clamps at their lowor ends, and having cross-pieces j at their upper ends supported in staples on the sides of the shaft-frame, andadapted to be picked up by the moving car, substantially as hereindescribed.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand.

XVILLIAM R. LOW.

